Basketball: Breakers notch up first series win

American-born Mike Chappell knocked down 25 points to lead the New Zealand Breakers to a 110-100 win over the Hunter Pirates in the Australian National Basketball League last night.

The result secured the Breakers' first ever series win in the league following on from their victory over the last-placed Pirates in Hunter last month. Chappell received good support from Tall Blacks captain Pero Cameron, who had 21 points and Iona Enosa who had 13 points and 10 rebounds. However, the win brought more misery for former Australian Boomer Ben Melmeth, who aggravated an ankle injury two minutes into the second quarter and sat out the game.

Melmeth has missed nine games through injury and is now in doubt for the rest of the season.

The Breakers hussled the Pirates out of the game for much of the first half, thanks to workaholic Dillon Boucher, who had four assists, and sharpshooter Chappell, who took 22 first-half points.

The Pirates stayed in touch to go into the first break just four points adrift but the Breakers pulled away to lead 55-45 at halftime and 81-69 after three quarters.

Breakers (M Chappell 25, P Cameron 21, A Olson 14)

Pirates (G Cullen 28, K Brooks 28, C Brown 15).

- NZPA